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Turning Beauty into Business

Saint Martin Lions take their talents and skills everywhere including the beauty industry. From cosmetics to skincare and everything in between, these 2 young beauty entrepreneurs have turned their passion for beauty into thriving businesses.

Janessa Ortiz ‘10, Founder Fresh Face Beauty & Skin LLC

Janessa’s inspiration to start her business came from the self-expression that comes with beauty. She shares, “I love to help people bring out their inner confidence and explore different layers of their personality and creativity through beauty.” Her business offers clients a variety of services including facials, body waxing, lash extensions, GelX nails, and more. As a small business owner, Janessa sees the value of building relationships with her clients. She also emphasizes how her services boost her client's confidence and contributes to them having a positive outlook on the world. This is the drive that has kept her going for the last 10 years in this industry.

Reflecting back on her Saint Martin de Porres High School experience, Janessa appreciates how the school and Corporate Work Study gave her the confidence to network with people in her most socially awkward stage of life. It challenged her to explore opportunities that would lead to her becoming her own boss and business owner. She shares, “Saint Martin opened my eyes to entrepreneurship and equipped me with the necessary skills and knowledge to be a business owner. I learned how to perform basic admin work through Corporate Work Study and those skills have transferred to all I need to do to keep my business up and running.” Her advice to students wanting to start their own business? “Whatever you want to do is possible. Never lose your passion and remember that it will not be easy, but it will be worth it!”

Follow Janessa on Instagram at @Freshfacebeautyskin & @ffbs_salonsuites.

Trinity Hedge ‘18, Founder of The Beauty Harbor of 216

Trinity Hedge, is a solo esthetician who offers many services including facials, body waxing, brow tinting, and full body massages. Once Trinity enrolled in beauty school, she fell in love with the idea of being able to physically transform someone’s skin and build a client’s confidence.

Now as an alumna, Trinity sees the connections between her Saint Martin experience and the professional world today. She recalls being shy and quiet in high school until she was forced out of her comfort zone through speed networking and other professional development activities that prepared Saint Martin students for the workplace. Fast forward to today, Trinity uses the same skills she learned in high school to communicate with clients and ensure their comfort daily. As an up-and-coming women entrepreneur, Trinity offers these words of encouragement to current Saint Martin students, “If you want to start a business, do it! It’s okay to fail, just keep your head on strong and you will persevere in the end! If you have the passion and drive nothing is going to stop you.”

Follow Trinity on Instagram at @thebeautyharborof216.